The design and construction of museums has developed into a showcase discipline for architecture. Projects such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao alter the perception of whole regions and, as a result, also their economical reality.
The illumined glass pyramid of the Louvre has overtaken the Eiffel Tower as a symbol for Paris. Since such structures are highly significant for the designers, building owners and visitors, the quality requirements on the lighting are also correspondingly high: collections with enormous materials and ideal values need to be placed in the best possible light. The lighting technology has to successfully integrate the often-contradictory demands of visitors and art conservationists regarding the protection of the exhibits.